Betrayed By a Truth
by Demon's Requiem
Summary: Double identities are dangerous, even in the best of situations. When things splinter and fall apart in the face of the war and betrayal engulfing Konoha, can their relationships and dreams come out intact? SasuNaru. Kingdom AU.
1. The Beginning

**A/N: **Hey there :) Welcome to my new multi-chap fic I've been working on! (and yes that means I have chapters stored up, so I'm hoping for weekly updates, if people like this story)

There are quite a few things about this story that I feel like I should mention - like first of all it's SasuNaru! Be warned! (And other minor pairings.) Rated M for future scenes, etc. This story is quite obviously an AU, with Prince!Naruto and advisor!Sasuke, as well as their double identities in the Leaf gang. The prologue is essentially an introduction, so be warned nothing much happens xD That much being said... I hope you do choose to continue reading, even though I'm talking quite a bit right now lol.

Disclaimer (for whole fic): Evidently I don't own Naruto, enough said, though I wish I did. I don't own the cover image either, but I tinkered with it in Paint (I wish so bad I had Photoshop) and added the words. Image is by 10-rankai, love her to bits.

* * *

**Betrayed By a Truth**

The Beginning

* * *

Dark streaks leaped through the air, flipping over alleys and jumping atop buildings in an impressive show of acrobatics. Some even dared to venture into the streets below, pushing off the sides of shops and somersaulting over the civilians' heads. The civilians shrieked and ducked out of the way, hiding under stalls and pressing themselves against the brick buildings in an attempt to remain safe.

It was a fruitless endeavor. The famed Leaf gang would never hurt the innocents; that had been established long, long ago.

The Leaf gang was one of the most prominent in Konoha. They only ventured out about once a month, but when they did, indiscriminate acts of good always appeared soon after. Now, whenever the dark shadows flew through the streets of Konoha, people praised them and associated them with good—the light in the time of darkness, when Konoha was plunged in its darkest war yet. The Leaf was a way to keep their hope.

Metal clanged loudly as someone dropped down on top of a cluster of trash cans, cursing as their footing slipped and the cans gave way. Rubbing his back painfully, he sat up and was met with a hand in his face. Glancing up, he smiled as he saw the familiar dog-faced mask of one of his 'subordinates'.

The leader of the Leaf didn't like to call his underlings, well, underlings. Or anything related to that word. They were equals, he insisted, otherwise the power would be too divided. That was how the whole mess with Konoha and the other kingdoms had started.

He took Pup's gloved hand—they all had code names, since revealing themselves would be decidedly risky—and heaved himself to his feet. "Thanks." He received a nod in reply. "Where are the others?"

"They're still out there." Pup shrugged, hand disappearing under his hood to scratch his hair. "Why are these masks so itchy?" he whined, pawing at it half-heartedly.

"Why are you so whiny?" a new voice snapped. The two cloaked gang members glanced up sharply to the opening of the alley, despite already knowing who it was. It never hurt to be too cautious, as they had learned the hard way.

"Blossom." Pup's voice was anything but pleased. "Stop insulting me. We're equals, ne, Kyuubi?"

"Doesn't seem that way when your codename is Kyuubi, oh leader." There was an obvious repressed smirk in Blossom's voice as she approached, arms swinging casually. Her mask was abstract, as most of theirs were (even Pup's dog mask was decidedly less dog-like than the man probably would've liked) and coated with a spattering of pink, almost like cherry blossoms falling in the snow. If Kyuubi was poetic, that was how he would've put it.

"Don't make fun of it. I could've picked Fox, you know, since it's _so _much more 'equal', but since you guys all insisted, I kept Kyuubi." He huffed and crossed his arms. Kyuubi was a legend in Konoha—supposedly a giant nine-tailed fox had attacked the kingdom centuries ago, and was sealed away by a hero who sacrificed his own life in return. Since Kyuubi's mask was a fox, streaked with orange to match, his gang had decided that his codename would be, fittingly, Kyuubi.

"That's true." They all started as someone appeared next to Pup, as silently and stealthily as his codename suggested. Shadow.

Pup jumped away from Shadow. "Dude! Don't do that! It scares me when you pull your freaky-deaky shadow crap, you know that!"

"That's exactly why you're so fun to rile."

Pup and Shadow began arguing—though it was a rather one-sided argument. Kyuubi glanced at Blossom. "Do you know where Raven is?"

"Right here."

Kyuubi glanced up, eyes widening slightly as he saw Raven hanging (rather impressively, though he would never admit it) off the side of the building, balancing upside down and held up only by his toes. "What are you doing?! Get down before you hurt yourself!"

"Yes sir," Raven answered sarcastically before flipping in the air and landing lightly next to Kyuubi. "Was I last?"

"Yeah." Kyuubi frowned as he leaned in closer to Raven, inspecting his mask. "What happened to your mask?"

"I got hit." Raven shrugged, like it was no big deal—only it was, because no one attacked the Leaf gang on their monthly rounds. They may have been small, with only five members, but they were renowned and respected for their rather impressive fighting skills. Pup could call on a dog whenever and wherever they were; Blossom had brute strength; Shadow could seemingly melt into any shadow. Kyuubi and Raven were special, though. Kyuubi because of his extraordinary chakra-manipulation skills, which most people seldom activated, and Raven—

Raven was unique, because none of them had ever seen what he could do.

The only thing they knew was the fact that he rarely, rarely, _rarely _ever got hit by anything. He took down opponents in a flash of black, and then it was over before they even knew what happened.

Instantly, the other three members snapped to attention, staring at Raven's now somewhat bloody mask. His, unlike Shadow's, wasn't a jet black. Instead, it had been painted with swirls of midnight blue, sharp and intense in some areas while soft and intangible in others. Right now, it was splashed with red, bright and surprisingly contrasting.

"Tell me what happened," Kyuubi ordered. Unease was beginning to churn in his stomach. He didn't like it when his members got injured.

(_not again_)

"Nothing much, okay? It was a stupid accident. I stopped in another alleyway for a second to adjust my mask while the rest of you went ahead, and there were some thugs in the alley. Five of them. They took me by surprise and while I didn't get hurt, I had to clean them up rather messily. Satisfied?" Raven's voice was the perfect mix of cool annoyance and slight defensiveness.

Almost too perfect.

The unease grew in Kyuubi as the rest of his gang nodded, accepting Raven's excuse. Something wasn't right in Raven's words—most of it sounded true, but there was something wrong about the whole concept. Raven was never taken by surprise. He shouldn't have been able to been.

Kyuubi stayed quieter than normal throughout the rest of their meet-up and report, only nodding when he was required to. At last, Shadow, Pup, and Blossom bid goodbye and vanished from the alley, leaving him and Raven alone.

"Well, see you later, Kyuubi." Raven lifted his hand in a goodbye as he headed toward the entrance to the alley as well. He had returned to the normal Raven Kyuubi knew and respected after his little arrival incident, and now there were no alarms pinging in Kyuubi. But that feeling from before hadn't completely vanished either, and he couldn't figure out why he was feeling this way. He didn't suspect his fellow gang members. He just…_didn't._

So why was he doing it now?

"Wait." Raven halted, back to him. It was a strangely disturbing image Kyuubi decided he didn't like too much. "I…I can trust you, right?"

Raven was quiet for a long time. So long that Kyuubi was beginning to grow uncertain, and he was about to speak again when—

"What do you think?"

And then Raven disappeared in a flash of his black cloak, leaving Kyuubi alone in the alley.

* * *

"Your Highness," a maid murmured respectfully as she bowed to Naruto, head low and hands clasped.

"Makiko," he replied, nodding courteously. "Would you mind telling the chefs to prepare some honey-lemon water and bring it to my room? My throat's feeling a little sore."

"Of course, Your Highness." She bowed again and disappeared off down the corridor. Naruto began walking again, lost in his thoughts.

It wasn't often his 'other duties' distracted him enough to affect him in reality. Kyuubi was another personality, he liked to think. One that wasn't needed in his daily life, but was desired by the public to maintain good and general prosperity. Kyuubi was a side job—separate from his princely duties, and not to be thought of unless it was that time of month again.

So why was it plaguing him right now?

Or to be more exact, why was _Raven _plaguing his thoughts? Naruto despised, more than anything, betrayal. He'd been betrayed by more than a few people in his young lifetime, and while he knew it came with being next in line for the throne—when he turned eighteen, he could succeed Danzo at last—it still hurt every time someone tried to take his life or ran away to join separate armies.

Naruto frowned, shaking his head to clear the thoughts. No. He wouldn't think about Raven anymore. He trusted Raven, and Raven trusted him.

Right?

He reached his room, finding the honey-lemon water already present by the time he arrived. He gulped it down eagerly—talking in a lower pitch than his normal voice took its toll every time. In order to remain masked, should he ever meet a member of the Leaf gang, he took on a different voice to fool them, as did every member of the gang. It was too dangerous otherwise.

"Prince? Are you in there?" A light rapping echoed on his door.

"Yes, come in." Naruto turned, seeing his best friend and chief advisor standing in the doorway. "Sasuke! I told you not to call me Prince, didn't I? It's way too formal."

"I know, but what would I do if someone heard me? They'd have my head." Sasuke rolled his eyes, shutting the door behind him. "You have a meeting with His Majesty Danzo in a couple minutes, so I suggest you start getting ready. Where were you, anyway? Those aren't clothes for riding, and they look rather dirty."

"Eh, I was out in disguise, wandering the city." Naruto waved his hand dismissively, praying Sasuke wouldn't catch on to the lie. He did it often enough as it was (visiting the city, that is, not lying).

Luckily for him, Sasuke didn't pursue the topic. "Just don't be caught. You know that Danzo doesn't like you drawing attention to yourself in the public."

"It's just because he isn't doing any good on the throne," Naruto muttered, too quietly for Sasuke to hear. Sasuke was first and foremost Danzo's advisor, after all, and any mention of treason-like talk would be reported to Danzo immediately. No matter if Sasuke agreed on his opinions or not. This was what came with loyalty, and that was what came with being on the throne.

That, and multiple assassination attempts.

"I'll be there. You go on ahead."

"Okay. See you in a few." Sasuke left, closing the door softly behind him.

Naruto opened his wardrobe, staring at the clothes lines up inside. They were impossibly fancy and incredibly uncomfortable. What he wouldn't give for just one day outside—not as Kyuubi, but as someone _normal. _Someone without the ties to the throne, without having the burden of clearing Konoha's name as soon as he succeeded Danzo. Someone that didn't have to stop the infighting and someone that didn't have to make peace with the other countries. Someone that had friends, _real_ friends, that would never even think about betraying him.

Someone who had a family still.

But more than anything, Naruto loved Konoha, and for the sake of his country, he would do whatever it took to resolve the wars and finally lift the oppressing darkness. No matter the betrayal, no matter the deaths, he would free Konoha.

A prince must be selfless. He must set aside his life for his country. He must withstand the erosion of time, trust, and bonds. He must uphold his duties without fail.

Naruto knew all that. He knew it and he was determined to follow it.

Yet once, just once… he wished he had the privilege of being selfish.

_Free me from the chains of royalty and the shackles of a double life._

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**A/N: **Congrats if you made it down here (it's rather short right now, sorry 'bout that)! Here are some more tidbits/fun facts/kinda essential info you should know about BBAT, as I like to call it...

DID YOU KNOW... this story was supposed to be really really _really _dark and depressing but thankfully, I can't write like that, as the first couple chapters I've written show. So in return you get angst! :D Have fun. The masks they wear are kinda like ANBU masks, but more abstract-ish and less animal shaped. If any of you know Hei from Darker than Black (really awesome show btw), take his mask and the ANBU's design, and you kinda get the Leaf gang's masks. It should be easy figuring out the true person behind the code names (Kyuubi, Naruto) because I wasn't really trying to hide them xD But if you have questions about anything, PM me or leave it in a review and I'll be happy to answer!

Kyuubi really has no place in this fic - like, big furry lovable Kurama demon fox Kyuubi. It's only Naruto's codename... In case it wasn't clear, they have different pitch voices for Leafgang!identity and real!identity; so Naruto lowers his voice, others raise theirs, etc. Originally I wasn't going to place everyone from the Leaf inside the castle but then I did cuz I got lazy :P (except one person, but you'll see that next chapter!) And while I was writing this, I kept typing everyone's real names instead of their codenames... it was really confusing argh.

Okay really long A/N done. If you sat through all that and still decided you think this fic is worth a shot, please review! :) It'll be much appreciated and I'll love you and never let you go. Rawr.

**TBC!**

(p.s. if you guys like it, next update will be a week from now)


	2. Freedom Flies

**A/N: **So sorry I didn't update for so long, I kinda got sidetracked by life. Grr. Anyway thanks to those who reviewed last chapter! And in case anyone got confused, Raven's mask last time wasn't broken, it was only bloody, so Naruto still doesn't know that Sasuke is Raven. :)

Here's the first official sorta chapter! Yay! And it's much longer too. Please enjoy!

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**Betrayed By a Truth**

Chapter One: Freedom Flies

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"We'll send Sector Three troops to the northeastern border. They're having some difficulty with the Kumo troops, who invaded the Land of Frost. Sector Eight is departing tonight for the station in Kiri. Suna has begun raiding the southwestern towns, so some troops must be deployed there as well."

Naruto propped his head up lazily, drawing patterns on the table absentmindedly as he listened to Danzo's army generals and strategists give their reports. It was never an interesting affair, listening to them talk. He would much rather be riding his horse and hunting; but it was a required task, seeing how one day he would rule over Konoha.

"Very good. What about Iwa?" Danzo asked from beside Naruto.

Hiashi, the main general, answered. "They've been withdrawing lately. We have reason to suspect that they're preparing for a brutal assault, since things have been too quiet recently."

"I see. And what of alliances?"

"As far as we can tell, there have been no attempted alliances between any of the surrounding countries. We have done our best to ensure that…"

Hiashi's voice droned on, and Naruto stifled a yawn. He felt someone kick him under the table and his head snapped up to glare at his best friend, who had a smug smirk on his face. "Don't fall asleep," he mouthed.

Naruto scowled and was about to kick him back when he noticed Danzo and his surrounding advisors staring at him rather expectantly. "Uh—yes?"

"Shikaku asked what you thought of the infighting that's been occurring," Danzo said. His face was unreadable as always, half hidden beneath the customary white bandages. Naruto had never known what was wrong with his appointed guardian—some medical mystery, probably, since neither Sakura nor Tsunade (the two best healers in all of Konoha) had been able to heal him.

"Ah, that." Naruto swallowed, taking his eyes off Danzo and locking them on Sasuke, pleading for help. Sasuke gave a slight shake of his head. _Traitor. _"Um, well, the Rebel Factions have been acting up in the south. Perhaps some of the peacekeepers should be sent to make alliances with them, so we can save our resources and focus on the outside enemies instead of the interior. As well as the poorer towns in the east, who are constantly complaining about being attacked by pirate ships from Kiri. We could—"

"That's all and well," Danzo interrupted, his one visible eye shrewd and oddly piercing, "but what about the gangs?"

Silence settled like a death shroud over the table. Naruto threw another desperate glance toward Sasuke. His face had grown strangely impassive, and he was staring at Naruto with indecipherable eyes. Alone again.

"The gangs. Right. Ah, there were some of the smaller gangs stirring trouble, but nothing too major. There have also been rumors of the gang called Akatsuki invading from the north, but those are just that, rumors… Oto's gangs have also been quiet recently. The ANBU gang as well. Most of the trouble is coming from the infighting, truthfully, so we should just focus our efforts to end the rebellions and everything will be solved." Naruto was aware he was rambling, but he couldn't stop himself.

"And the Leaf gang?" Danzo's voice was icy cold.

A chill ran down Naruto's spine as he stared at his guardian. _Does he know something? Did he find my mask? Or… does someone else know, and they told him? _"Th—they don't really cause trouble. Only rioting through towns and the like. Nothing severe."

They locked eyes for a few more moments, before Danzo finally looked away and the weight lifted from Naruto's chest. He breathed out, eyes closing in silent relief.

"That'll be all for today," Danzo was saying. "Please be here, same time, same place, tomorrow."

The screeching of chairs being pushed back across the stone floor woke Naruto from his brief reverie, and he hastily stood up as well. "Farewell, Your Majesty." He bowed slightly to Danzo before dashing out of the room, seeing Sasuke waiting outside. "Thank God that's over. I hate those meetings."

"They're necessary," Sasuke murmured as the two of them set off down the corridor. "And you should start learning how to manage them." He fixed the prince with a stern glare.

Naruto burst out laughing. "Yeah, sure, sure, whatever you say. Anyway, at least that's over! Let's go outside. I'm in the mood for some fresh air." Without waiting for Sasuke's answer, he grabbed his best friend's wrist and began running.

He breathed in deeply as soon as they were outside, enjoying the sunshine on his face and the wind in his hair. Naruto never did like the castle much. Too luxurious and too cold—much like Danzo. The man never failed to irritate Naruto. He wasn't even related to him; he had just been his late parents' senior advisor, who had happened to take on the role of king after the terrible incident seventeen years ago, at Naruto's birth. They never talked about the incident, even though Naruto had made it known that his one goal was to find his parents' murderer and destroy them even if it cost him his own life. Sasuke didn't like discussing the topic, since his own clan had been eradicated during the attack, leaving only him to carry on their duties.

"—ruto. Naruto!" A pale hand waved in front of his face, causing Naruto to start.

"Wha? What's going on?" He looked around, confused.

"It's me, idiot." Sasuke's hand retreated, and he walked a little ahead of Naruto, hands in his pockets. "You were spacing out. Where are we going?"

"Let's just wander around. I haven't had the time to properly enjoy the outdoors without being chased down recently." Naruto grinned lopsidedly, quickening his pace a little to catch up with Sasuke. They walked in silence for a bit before he spoke again. "So, what have you been up to recently?"

"This and that." Sasuke shrugged, staring straight ahead. "You know, advisor duties."

"You never tell me what those are," Naruto complained. "How do I know you're not secretly, like, plotting with Danzo to kill me? Or sneaking off to perform assassinations in the dead of the night? Or—Sasuke?"

Sasuke had stopped dead in his tracks, leaving Naruto ahead of him. His face was paler than usual, and his voice had an unidentifiable edge to it. "What did you just say?"

Naruto frowned. "Relax. I was joking. Of course you wouldn't be plotting with Danzo. I trust you." He took a step forward, only to halt as Sasuke's tense face melted into his regular emotionless façade, with what might be the slightest hint of relief hiding under it all.

"Right. Sorry, this stress is getting to me." Sasuke laughed, the noise natural and fluid. Naruto smiled too, already forgetting Sasuke's strange behavior. "The war isn't progressing as planned, you know. We're facing some dark times ahead of us if we don't get this settled soon. And you also want to avenge your family, don't you?"

"Yeah. I need to become king before I can do anything about it though." Naruto sighed, watching petals swirl off from the sakura trees. If there was one thing he loved about the palace, it was the courtyard and gardens. Immaculately maintained and beautifully designed, it gave off an air of freedom—despite the castle wall looming forbidding and gray in the background. "I love spring."

"Hn."

"It feels so…liberating." Naruto stretched a hand up, watching it imprint itself against the cerulean sky. "Almost like there's nothing wrong with this world. Like Konoha isn't becoming corrupted. Like violence isn't occurring right at this moment. Like—"

_Like I can fly._

"But that isn't the truth." Sasuke's voice brought him crashing back down. Naruto's hand fell to his side and he scowled at his best friend.

"Stop bringing me down, bastard. Let me feel happy!"

"If you want to feel happy, why don't you go for a ride? I'm sure your horse misses you."

"Only if you come with me."

Naruto's heart fell as Sasuke turned away; as if Naruto hadn't already seen the beginnings of a 'no' in his black, black eyes. "I can't. Sorry. You know I have things to do."

"Yeah, I know." Naruto watched with a heavy feeling in his gut as Sasuke lifted his hand briefly (_now where had he seen that before_) and vanished around the corner. And then he was alone in the gardens, alone on the path, alone in the whirl of cherry blossoms dancing in the spring.

_Don't you know that there's no point to anything if you're not there with me, by my side?_

* * *

Naruto ended up wandering around the gardens until he found Lee, the gardener, trimming some artfully shaped shrubs in the eastern side of the castle. "Hey, Lee."

"Oh! Your Highness Prince Naruto!" Lee jumped up and saluted him, shears still clamped in his hand. He seemed to realize this and threw them behind him into the bushes before grinning again. "What may I help you with?"

"Stop it, Lee. I told you not to call me Your Highness. It sounds way too formal." Naruto sighed, picking his way around Lee and plucking the shears from the bushes. "Here you go."

"Thank you, Your—er, Prince Naruto."

Naruto decided not to mention that he didn't like the epithet 'Prince' either, considering the fact that if he did Lee probably would have a fit trying to figure out what to properly call him. "What were you doing?"

"I was just fixing up the shrubs. They were looking a little frizzy." Lee turned around and began snipping off little twigs again, examining them sharply with his round eyes. "I do not mean to be rude, Prince Naruto, but why have you come to seek out a lowly gardener such as me? Surely I have done nothing wrong?" He looked worried under his large straw hat.

"Oh, you did nothing wrong. I was just bored." Naruto and Lee both fidgeted in the awkward silence that followed his statement, and finally Naruto said, "Can I help you?"

"Wh—help me? You? I mean, Prince Naruto wants to help? Um, I—er…" Lee flapped his hands, confused. He was obviously unsure whether to refuse Naruto's request and possibly end up in the dungeon for a couple days or let the prince help and possibly bring the wrath of Danzo down upon him.

"Never mind. It's okay. I'll just…go," Naruto mumbled, apologizing to Lee before quickly fleeing the scene. He hated his royal status. He really did.

_This is why I have no real friends. Except Sasuke, but even he doesn't want to be around me that much._

Sighing despondently, he returned the castle. It was still early in the afternoon, and now he had nothing to do. Servants scurried out of his way as he passed them, directing their gazes downward in what was supposed to be a show of respect but only ended up making Naruto feel even lonelier than before. Sasuke was nowhere to be found, and even some of the other young adults he liked to hang out with on occasion—Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Shikamaru or sometimes even Shino—were conspicuously absent.

He finally returned to his quarters and collapsed on his large bed in defeat. "Am I really that alone?" Naruto whispered, eyes trained on the ceiling. "I just want some friends. Is it too much to ask?"

No one answered, not that he had expected someone to.

With another sigh, he rolled over and stood up, walking over to the mirror propped up in the corner of his room. Familiar blue eyes stared back at him, and he ran his hands through his bright yellow hair. Everything about him was so colorful that it almost seemed fake in the soft afternoon sunlight washing his room in a pale gold, dappling his skin. Briefly, he wondered what his gang would do if they figured out that he was a prince and not ordinary like they thought he was. Would they abandon him too? Think him a traitor for not telling them sooner? Fear him for his supposed power? Naruto didn't think he would be able to stand if that happened—the Leaf gang members were one of the few that Naruto actually considered friends outside of the castle, even if they were bound by dedication and duty. They had been together for three years now, formed on one stormy night and based off of a promise to do good and brighten humanity.

If they were to shun him as well, only because of his rank… Naruto didn't think he would be able to stand it. He would break.

Naruto turned away from the mirror abruptly, shaking his head. No. He had never thought about the Leaf gang this much outside of when he was Kyuubi, so why was he doing it now? Determined to forget about the Leaf's existence—at least for another month—he shoved it to the back of his mind and sealed it away.

It didn't diminish the aching feeling still left inside Naruto, however. He still felt lonely—so lonely. He just wanted escape, even if it was just for a little. Freedom like the gardens, only without the castles. Freedom like…

_Outside._

A sudden idea implanted itself into Naruto's mind and in seconds he was acting on it, ignoring the consequences it would no doubt bring in favor of easing the terrible loneliness that was slowly tearing him to pieces. Just for a little, he told himself. He would go outside—just for a little.

After digging around in his wardrobe for a bit, he finally found a plain tunic, dusky blue and slightly wrinkled from being shoved in the corner for so long. He kept his black pants on and selected a heavy, velvety cloak from the closet before shutting it and glancing at himself in the mirror. With the hood on and his face in shadow, he would be hard to recognize, especially since Prince Naruto was never known to go outside of the castle much anyway.

Naruto smiled to himself before flipping the mirror around, revealing a hidden door set into the wallpaper. Every room had one of these, forming an intricate interconnected maze within the very bones of the castle. Naruto had used them to escape on more than one occasion, and this time it wouldn't be any different.

He emerged near the sewers, and wrinkled his nose at the stench. Quickly drawing his hood up, he began walking toward the closest street, heart pounding away in his chest. Every time he snuck out, it brought a certain thrill to him, knowing that he might be caught but probably wouldn't. The merchants paid him no mind as he merged seamlessly with the flow of traffic exiting the castle; he was just another errand boy sent by some farmer or smith in the city. Naruto followed the familiar dirt-trodden path until he reached the market square, which he widely considered his most favorite place in the whole world—even above the gardens in the castle.

It was huge, to say the least. The square stretched open before him, the expanse wide and encompassing. It bustled with people of all shades and colors, and stall-owners hawked their sales with loud, cawing cries, urging men and women and girls and boys to come look at their oh-so-beautiful ribbons or swords. Naruto breathed in deeply, a grin spreading across his face. Times like these were when he liked to say, '_I'm home_.'

And he truly did feel that way. Only in the market (_or when he was leaping across buildings, quick like a shadow with the wind in his hair and a mask on his face_) did he feel like he truly belonged; in the throng of the crowd, the hum of the conversations, basking in the _normalness _of the citizens around him.

He slipped through the crowds, admiring the wares and merely listening to the crowd's incessant chatter. It calmed his heart.

"_And so did you hear about Akana? Yeah I couldn't believe it! Who would've thought—?"_

"—_heard Tazuna is throwing a party soon. Who knows, he just had a son and his wife is absolutely horrid—"_

"_Who wants some beautiful, finely crafted pottery? Made by the best pottery-smith in town! Come and get it before it aaaaall runs out!"_

"_Jiraiya-sama's newest novel is releasing soon! I'm so excited!"_

"—_do you want to eat tonight? I heard the Green-Eye Tavern is open again. Maybe—"_

"…_buy now! Biggest sale of the year!"_

Naruto wandered around for a good hour or so, content to listen and observe. Once he bought some sausage-bread because he had grown hungry, only to give it to a dirty street urchin. He ended up buying five more for the street urchin's beggar friends, who all looked pitifully small and bony.

_How can Danzo sit in his castle and do nothing about the children, waste money on luxuries, and send troops to war when obviously the bigger concern is the population of Konoha? Who does he think will supply the armies when our troops get too diminished? The children?! _

Naruto thought angrily afterwards.

He was sitting on the stairs that led down to the square, resting, when he heard his name. Instantly, his back stiffened and his ears perked, straining to catch the conversation.

"—he's a useless prince. Almost worse than Danzo, but nobody likes Danzo, so he doesn't really count." The male voice, low and rough, scoffed derisively. "He doesn't do anything for Konoha either. Basically we've got a useless government who can't do anything for our country."

"Well, I heard that Danzo doesn't allow him out of the castle very much," another voice began, also male but decidedly less brash than the first one.

The first voice cut him off. "Don't pull that bullshit. Everyone knows that there are ways to get out of that damn castle if someone really wanted out. It's not a fortress."

"You still shouldn't badmouth someone you don't know," the second voice admonished lightly.

"The Leaf gang does more than the blasted prince ever will! If he hasn't done anything in his seventeen years so far, what makes you think that he'll help us when he's eighteen and ascended to the throne? What if he just ends up useless and even more of an incompetent fool than Danzo? I say we'd be better off without him."

"Come on, Takeshi—"

"He's probably got assassins out for his head anyway, looking to clean up the mess from seventeen years ago. Maybe that's why he doesn't want to poke his nose outside the castle. If only his parents hadn't up and died, maybe we wouldn't even _be _in this mess!"

Naruto had heard enough. He stood, back hunched and arms clenched inside the cloak, literally shaking with the effort he was restraining himself with. _Don't do it. Don't go over to Takeshi… Don't punch his lights out. Don't do it, it's not worth it, it's not worth it! _he chanted to himself, taking a deep breath through his nose before slowly taking a step down the stairs. And another. And another. Twelve steps in total, until he was once more immersed in the chaos of the square and away from the badmouthing idiot that he so, so wanted to kill.

It was one thing to insult Naruto, which he knew he deserved. It was another to insult his parents, who had been far more just and fair than Danzo or he could ever be.

Tension coiled in his chest again, tight and threatening like a cobra waiting to strike. It wouldn't leave even though he tried to distract himself with the conversations still going on around him (_"Buy me some sweet cake, please, Mother?" "Not today, honey. You know we're tight on money."_). He knew this would happen—it always did, someone badmouthing him or Danzo. Humans gossiped about what they didn't know, and that was a fact of life. It was just that nobody had dared talk bad about his parents…until now.

Naruto didn't know his parents. He was just a day old when they were killed, after all. All his life he had heard stories, though; stories of how they bravely gave their lives to the kingdom in exchange for peace and prosperity. Stories of their combined strength to protect the things they loved. Stories of how his mother's hair was redder than blood and his father's hair was as bright as the sunshine. He knew they weren't perfect, that they had flaws as all people did, but their _souls _were much purer than anyone left in Konoha.

(_and so, tell me, what makes Konoha worth saving?_)

He hadn't realized he was still walking, automatically weaving between people and stalls, until he reached a much less crowded street. The sun was going down, and it was at that awkward time when it wasn't yet dark enough for the streetlights to turn on, but it was getting harder and harder to see in the semi-twilight gloom. Naruto sighed. Apparently this outing hadn't helped as much as he hoped it would.

He was turning, ready to start home, when something crashed into his chest and sent them both bowling over.

His first thought was, _I'm being attacked! _His second thought was, _So why is there a slimy tongue running all over my face?_

Naruto cracked open an eye and was met instantly with the attractive face of a furry, overgrown white mutt. The dog panted delightedly at seeing his prey move, and it set off a second round of tongue-licking sliminess. Naruto winced and attempted to push the beast off of him, but it was just that: an inhumanly large beast. To make matters worse, it decided to sit down on his chest, causing the breath in his lungs to whoosh out of him in one huff. _Damn _this dog was heavy.

"I'm so sorry!" a voice cried, and suddenly the dog was pried off of him and oh holy lord he could breathe again. Naruto coughed slightly as he was dragged into a sitting position and something soft was wiped across his face, relieving it of the slobber. "I'm really sorry," the voice apologized again, "I didn't mean to let Akamaru go. He just has this wild tendency to pull and pull and I'm sure you know by now what happens when he's _dead set _on something… I'm really sorry—"

"It—it's fine," Naruto said, coughing again. He blinked, finally seeing the young man kneeling in front of him with a worried expression on his face.

He was about the same age as Naruto, or so he would've guessed. The man had tanner skin that most, which came from working in the fields or spending a lot of time outside, like Naruto. He had brown, ruffled hair and sharp black eyes, as well as twin red triangles tattooed on his cheeks. Certainly a little rough looking, but nothing scary.

Akamaru barked, causing the stranger's attention to divert for a split second. "Shh, Akamaru," he hissed, before looking back at Naruto. "Um, so, are you new here?"

"Ah, no." Naruto shook his head, and as he finished the motion, he realized something was deathly wrong. There was no weight on his head—no fabric covering it. Panicked, he grasped head and only felt hair, instead of the cloak that should have covered it. Had the stranger recognized him? Wait—no. He couldn't have. Not if he asked if Naruto was new. Relief settled in Naruto's bones.

"I'm not a stalker or anything, don't worry. I just frequent this square a lot and I usually know most of the regulars that come by, and I'd never seen you before so I like introducing myself to new faces. Just usually, you know, not by attacking you with my dog." The stranger chuckled uncomfortably, scratching his cheek shamefully. "By the way, I'm Kiba. Inuzuka Kiba." He looked expectantly at Naruto, as if waiting for him to give his own name.

Once again, panic rushed through Naruto in a hot wave. He couldn't give his name—it was too well known! Panic caused his mouth to blurt out the first thing that came to mind: "You can call me Fox."

If alarm hadn't been thrumming through Naruto's veins and subsequently clouding his instincts, he might have noticed Kiba's eyes widen just a fraction, his skin pale just a shade. But maybe Naruto was just exceptionally oblivious, and maybe Kiba was just exceptionally good at hiding up his surprise.

Either way, Naruto ended up covering for his momentary lapse in judgment. "I was given the nickname Fox because of these whiskers on my cheeks. See? Kinda foxy?" He grinned cheekily. There was no way Kiba could know what Fox really meant. Only the Leaf gang knew that and the chances of meeting one of them sans mask in a crowded town square was literally next to zero.

Naruto figured he was safe.

Kiba was just opening his mouth to speak when a thundering gong sounded, halting all the conversations in one blow. Following the gong, a voice roared out, "We are looking for His Highness Prince Uzumaki Naruto, who was rumored to have been sighted in this general area! If you find him you will be rewarded with five hundred gold pieces! He has blue eyes—"

Naruto didn't wait around to hear the rest of the proclamation. This was what he got for losing track of time! Danzo had sent men looking for him. Gritting his teeth, he jumped to his feet and pulled Kiba up as well. "You wanna go?" he whispered, edging toward the alleys nearby.

"Why?" Kiba asked, a confused look on his face. Akamaru whined.

"Danzo's military scares me. I don't want to get near them." Naruto shivered, which wasn't too much of an overstatement.

"Oh. That's true." Kiba considered him for a moment before suddenly glancing at the sun. "Crap! It's almost sunset. I have to get home, sorry. You want to meet again sometime? You seem pretty cool. We could hang out." He offered a white, blindingly bright grin.

"H-hang out?" Naruto blinked. Nobody had ever dared say that to him before, so casually. It was always _'If you want to, Prince Naruto, we will' _or _'Your wish is our command'_. Never this. (_Is this what normalcy is?_) "Yeah. I think I'd like that."

"Cool. We buds?" Kiba held out a fist.

Naruto bumped it lightly, smiling. "Buds."

It felt good to have a real, no-strings-attached friend.

* * *

He considered the sneak-out worth it, even when Danzo roared at him not to do it _ever again_ or else he would be punished severely. Naruto didn't argue back, knowing that Danzo would only get angrier should the pet he thought 'so carefully tamed' turn out to really be a wild, feral beast ready to tear out his throat if need be.

Not that Naruto would go so far. He wouldn't dirty his hands on someone like Danzo.

He was walking through the halls, feeling particularly rebellious, when something slammed him against the stone wall and clutched at his throat.

"Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?" Sasuke hissed, hand clamping tighter around Naruto's neck.

Despite the growing difficulty to breathe, Naruto managed an amused smirk. "What, were you actually worried about me? The great, lofty Uchiha?"

"Shut up." Sasuke dropped his hands, and Naruto grinned triumphantly. Sasuke's next words, however, caused his smile to drop like a stone. "You know we need to keep an eye on you at all times. We don't know what you could do alone or who could get to you."

"I don't have enough power to do anything right now. You know that. Don't go preaching to me like Danzo," Naruto snapped, turning his back childishly on Sasuke and stalking off. He hated it when his best friend morphed into his 'advisor' side and lectured Naruto. It was one thing hearing it from Danzo, who he didn't particularly like, and an entirely different thing hearing it from Sasuke, whose opinion he greatly valued. Plus he didn't like the snooty tone Sasuke took on whenever he began lecture him, like he was so much better than Naruto.

_We're equals. Right?_

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said, predictably, a minute later as he caught up. It was an empty gesture, and both of them knew it. Uchihas didn't apologize—or if they did, they rarely meant it.

The silence between them was strained during the rest of the walk to Naruto's chambers. When he reached it, at last, he turned to Sasuke. "See? I'm fine. Nothing happened when I walked here. You can go back to your room now."

He turned and was opening the knob, completely ready to scorn Sasuke and forget about him for the night, when he grabbed his wrist with a sigh. "Naruto. Listen. Don't be mad. This really is for your own good, even though I know you don't like it. Why don't we put this behind us for today, okay?"

His eyes were open for once, letting Naruto in. He scanned the inky depths for any hint of a lie; finding none, he shook his head reluctantly in defeat and let Sasuke into his room. "For today."

_This battle isn't over yet._

* * *

**A/N: **So yeah. Second chapter :D Perhaps Sasuke being suspicious is a little too obvious, but hey... he's being very suspicious. Their world is sorta in a different place, with Japanese influences (like Naruto), so I'm going to use Japanese names and stuff. And yes, Naruto is being rather lonely and useless right now, but he's going to chance. Whoopee!

Okay I promise I will try and update sooner this time. But also please review, because they make me feel happy and flail crazily, and will probably (just saying) get me to update faster xD

**TBC!**


	3. Just This Once

**A/N: **Faster update this time! Sorta! I actually do have the next... oh, hmm, four chapters written out, so I will update faster. And thanks to everyone who reviewed or followed or faved!

Some confusion about the last chapter: Kiba does not know that Naruto was Naruto in the last chapter (meaning, he doesn't know that Naruto was the prince and he doesn't know that Naruto is Kyuubi). Super dense, I know, and you're probably going to be like "how can they not guess that Kiba is Pup and Naruto is Kyuubi?" in this chapter as well :D

This chapter is rather happy. Near the end it gets a little more dark, but...mostly happy. Wait till chapter three though. Things change, yay!

Warnings: Some SasuIno in this chapter, but it isn't permanent (obviously). The side pairings are going to be ShikaIno and LeeSaku and probably KibaHina, not that I'm going to focus on them, so if you hate it you don't have to worry. That said, ...enjoy? ^^

* * *

**Betr****ayed**_** By a Truth**_

Chapter Two: Just This Once

* * *

Naruto spun the mirror with a practiced ease, shutting the hidden door behind him softly as he snuck out. The passageways smelled dusty but were kept clean because of his frequent travels through them.

He hadn't listened to Danzo (or Sasuke) after that one afternoon a month ago. Naruto had continued to sneak out and meet Kiba, though he was careful never to stay too long lest something like last time repeated itself. He was sure Danzo never suspected anything, but he didn't know about Sasuke. His best friend was more astute than he appeared, though strangely he never seemed to notice Naruto's monthly half-day-long excursions out of the castle.

Strange. Setting aside the thoughts for now, Naruto grinned in excitement. He loved being Kyuubi. There was just that thrill you could only get from being behind a mask, identity unknown, performing acts of good and generally being admired and praised. And he loved meeting his friends.

Naruto took two lefts, a right, three more lefts, and two more rights before he finally reached his hidden stash. He unfolded the worn black cloak with a flourish and draped it comfortably around himself, fixing his mask on his face. Instantly, his eyes sharpened and Naruto slipped away.

Kyuubi was left in his place.

He exited through the back of the castle this time, taking to the forests and dashing through them quickly. It was easier than attempting to merge with the everyday peddlers and farmers, who would surely suspect him if they saw an odd, masked stranger on the road. His feet beat a familiar path on the forest floor, cushioned by pine needles and fresh, green grass. Summer was just around the corner—he could feel it in the heat of the air and the singing of the birds.

Kyuubi smiled as he launched himself into the air upon reaching the first building at the edges of civilization. He grabbed onto the windowsills and pulled himself up easily, using chakra to stick to surfaces he usually wouldn't be able to. That was his little trick for jumping over buildings and doing flips—each of them had their own way of coping with the intense physical workout being a Leaf gang member always brought. Blossom had her strength, which somehow saved her every time; Pup had his gloves, which were padded with a sticky substance that allowed them to stick to the walls; Shadow somehow just slid from shadow to shadow; and Raven seemed to fly from building to building, cloak billowing behind him like a pair of demon's wings.

Distracted in his thoughts, Kyuubi barely realized it when another shadow joined his dance. "What's got you so occupied?" a rough voice shouted over the roar of the wind.

"Pup! Hey, how's it going?" Kyuubi yelled back, nodding toward the dog-masked man.

"Eh. It's been good, nothing new."

They chatted for a while, leaping from building to building in search of their last three members. Blossom slid up behind them after a while, and so did Raven—and finally Shadow. Their Leaf gang was complete once more.

Whooping, Kyuubi leaped down from a low-hanging grocer's shop, immediately spotting his first task of goodness for the day. He swiped a purse from a thief who had had the misfortune of running straight into him and delivered it back to the female owner, who was weeping in relief. Then he clambered back up the side of the building and rejoined his gang.

It was like that for the rest of the day. He took candy from bullies and redistributed it to children. He gave food to homeless kids. Once, Kyuubi even managed to help a lost child find her mother.

It was with a satisfied, full feeling that he rejoined his gang.

"How did everyone's runs go?" he asked, slightly breathless, leaning against the wall.

"Same as usual." Pup shrugged, stretching. "Ah, I think I pulled something."

"Where? Let me see." Pup unfurled his arm, pointing at his shoulder. Blossom examined it quickly with probing, experienced fingers. She had been the medic for the Leaf gang since day one, and every one of them trusted her with their lives. Kyuubi didn't know where she got her talent, but he never asked, because that was private. If she wanted to discuss it, she would. "No. It's just bruised. If you take it easy for the rest of the week, it should be healed without any leftover pain." Pup nodded his thanks, and Blossom went on with her report; nothing new.

"It was a pain," Shadow grunted. He was slumped on the ground, arms propped on his knees. He was forever the lazy one.

Kyuubi turned to Raven. "Same." The man shrugged.

"Yeah, me too." Rolling his neck, Kyuubi slid to the ground like Shadow had. "Hey, we're a little early today! Let's sit for a while and talk. I never get to talk to you all that much anymore."

"Aw, missing us?" Pup teased, a grin obvious in his voice. He plopped on the ground, dragging Blossom down next to him. "Yo, Raven. Sit. We don't bite."

Kyuubi glanced at Raven, who was the only one still standing. He seemed hesitant, body posture tense, almost like he was on the verge of running away. That wouldn't do. Frowning, he pointed imperiously at Raven and put on his 'you-listen-to-me-now' voice (which, sadly, he had perfected due to his duties as a prince). "Raven, you sit down now or I'll have to kick your ass and _make_ you sit down!"

A long moment later, Raven sat.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Kyuubi said, smiling sweetly even though he knew Raven couldn't see it. "So, how's everyone's daily life?"

"I met a new friend," Pup said immediately. "I don't know where he's from, but that doesn't bother me much. I don't know where you all are from, do I?" He laughed a little, leaning back against the brick wall. "He's pretty chill—and different from most of the other people I know."

"Different how?" Blossom asked curiously.

"I don't know. There's just some aura about him that attracts you to him, like you _want _to be his friend or be close to him. He's seems really friendly, even though you barely know him. Now that I think about it, he kinda gives off a feeling like you, Kyuubi."

Kyuubi raised an eyebrow that went unseen beneath his mask. "Really? Ha, I don't think I'm particularly friendly…"

"That's not true! You're doing this for the good of the people, right? So at least you care. That has to count for something," argued Pup, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Well anyway, I met a friend too! He's really loud and knocked into me the first time we met, but that's behind us. I don't have many friends, truth be told, in reality," Kyuubi said softly, dipping his head. "It's lonely sometimes." The familiar ache spread from his chest.

"Don't be like that!" Blossom cried, thumping him on the shoulder. "We're your friends. You can't say that when we're right here _with you! _That's like insulting us." She crossed her arms indignantly. "And feeling lonely is nothing to be ashamed about. Even the best of us feel lonely—I do, and I certainly have enough friends. Although some of them are more like leeches." Her voice twisted, like she was thinking of something sour.

"She's right," Shadow agreed, speaking up for once. "Friends are hard to come by, so even if you feel like you don't have many friends at all, treasure the ones you do have. You never know when they'll stray from the path and vanish from your life forever."

Kyuubi smiled, glad for his friends' support. They were friends—all of them. Not even time could change that, he believed. He would make sure of it. Although he had to wonder, was there a specific reason Shadow had worded it that way? Worded it almost like…

(_a betrayal_)

"…So Raven, do you have any friends?" Sakura was asking.

Kyuubi turned instinctively, curious as well. Raven was an interesting character, to say the least. Most people were easy to read, like Blossom or Pup; if not, they at least were manageable, like Shadow. Raven, however—Raven was closed off. It was almost as if he was hiding behind layers and layers of masks, not just the one that adorned his face. Even on the rare occasions Raven laughed or seemed like he was enjoying himself, his body posture never fully relaxed, and he always seemed to be on guard, as if waiting for some attack. Didn't he trust them to protect him? Kyuubi trusted every one of the Leaf members with his life and more. Why didn't Raven feel the same? _Doesn't he trust me?_

"There's nothing to hide, you know," he said quietly, drawing the attention of the others. Raven remained silent, face turned stolidly away toward the wall across from him. "We're not here to hurt you. You don't have to hide from us—"

(_open up please I just want to see who you really are_)

"No."

The word dropped between them, too loud and too soft at the same time. Something shattered in Kyuubi, and he slowly cocked his head to the right. "What?"

"I was answering her question. No, I don't have friends, and no, I don't care." All of a sudden, Raven was standing, turning, walking away. The other members stared, dumbfounded, as Raven halted at the end of the alley. His head tilted to the side, and he seemed to hesitate for a split second before wavering away in the wind.

"R-Raven?" Blossom's voice was timid and quiet, too quiet, and instantly fire was bursting inside Kyuubi (_covering up the pain I know so well_). Nobody made Blossom – loud, perfect, fiery Blossom – act like that without paying.

"I'll catch the bastard!" he snarled, jumping to his feet as well. "Who does he think he is? He's part of our gang. He can't just leave."

Maybe, a small part of him whispered, you're just too scared he's going to leave for good.

"Save it, Kyuubi." Shadow sounded tired, too tired—the kind of tired when you knew too much for your age; the kind of tired that you had when you were carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Naruto knew that kind of tired.

"But why?" he argued, just because he was supposed to.

Inwardly, he had already given up.

"You can feel it too, right?" Shadow stood and began walking away as well. As he brushed against Kyuubi on his way to the exit, he murmured, "Something isn't right about Raven anymore."

And Kyuubi could only stand, dumbstruck, as Shadow melted away.

He was frozen…

Because he knew it was the truth.

* * *

Raven.

Raven, Raven, Raven.

What was wrong with him?

The question circulated constantly through Naruto's mind, buzzing around like an annoying fly he couldn't get rid of. Growling in annoyance, he flipped over and buried his face in his pillow, pounding his fist on the bed. "Stupid Raven. Why can't we just all be friends?"

Of course it wouldn't be that easy, though. Of course. Stupid bird-masked gang members had to go and complicate his apparently perfect life—though, he supposed, dealing with a neurotic ruler, a dissolving country, fifty-billion wars, and a cold loneliness that never fully went away wasn't really what one would consider 'perfect'. Still, sometimes Naruto had had better days, when he truly liked being a prince and being who he was. Like the days he snuck out to meet with the Leaf gang. In the past, he had always enjoyed those.

And to think, it was destroyed single-handedly by a bastardly idiot who had no concept for feelings.

He gave a roar of frustration, lifting his pillow. He was about to begin a vicious battle-to-the-death assault on his bed post when someone knocked on his door, effectively startling him enough to trip on the edge of his rug and smack face first into the stone, unforgiving floor.

"Shit," Naruto groaned, rubbing his nose in pain. Annoyed, he shouted, "Who is it _this _time?!"

"Naruto? What did you do now?" Haruno Sakura, apprentice to the best medic in all of Konoha, popped her head through the door, pink brows furrowed in apprehension. "I heard a really loud crash and—oh my god! You're bleeding!" She darted into the room, hands already glowing green with the classic sign of magic-healing. Naruto pushed her away, shaking his head and wiping the back of his nose.

"It's okay, Sakura, I didn't hurt myself that bad."

"But still! Prince—"

"I'm fine." Naruto's tone was firm and meant business. Under his look, the other girl quelled, dropping her hands and nodding slightly, even though her eyes were still worried. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself," he said to reassure her.

Her eyes shot up, furious and indignant with a brilliant green flame. "Uzumaki Naruto! I've known you long enough to know when you're not okay and when you're okay. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't read you! And right now, you are most definitely _not okay. _Maybe your physical body is fine and unharmed, but your soul is hurting. I can feel it, Naruto, and please—don't close yourself off again. When you're hurting, it's okay to talk to someone." She stepped forward slightly, pleading, clasping her hands in his. "Talk to _me_."

His mouth opened, but no words came out. Was he really like that? Did he close himself off? Naruto had always thought he was exceptionally open (compared to some silent bastards who will go unnamed for now)—but maybe, maybe, he was more unwilling to let others in than he had thought.

"I'm okay, Sakura, I promise." He grinned, rubbing her hands slightly. Sakura really was one of the people he had known the longest, besides Sasuke, of course. She had come to the castle at the young age of three, scared and timid and clinging onto Tsunade's skirts. Her parents had been killed in some ambush or other, with the rebellion just beginning in that time; Tsunade had seen to her and taken her in before retreating to the castle for safety. As such, Naruto had known her basically all his life.

(_and you still don't trust her completely?_)

"I just have a bunch of stress I'm dealing with right now, with Danzo and all." Naruto shook his head. "I'm sorry if I worried you, okay? If I need someone to talk to, I'll go to you."

She eyed him suspiciously. "You swear?"

He nodded. "I swear."

Sakura maintained eye contact for a little while longer before sighing and dropping their hands. "Fine, fine. I'm sorry I'm such a head case; I just really worry about you, you know? Sometimes…" she trailed off, green eyes misty and faraway. "Ah, never mind. Anyway, I came to ask you if you would like to come to our gathering. It starts soon, actually, and I know you're a prince and all but you've spent time with all of us at one moment or another, so I thought you might like to come. Ino, Lee, Chouji, Hinata, Shikamaru, Neji—the whole lot of them. So are you in?"

"Right now?" Sakura nodded eagerly, face bright and excited. "How could I say no to a face like that?" He laughed as Sakura tsked sharply and clocked him in the arm. It was all play, though; once upon a time, he had liked Sakura, but after she had confessed her love to the enigmatic gardener Lee, he had given up. If she loved someone else, he would let her go.

"Great! Let's go!" She grabbed his hand again and ran out of his room, leading him through the many hallways until they reached an open room with a high ceiling. It was, as all the other rooms in the castle, made of stone, but it was significantly warmer because of its close proximity to the kitchens. Rugs adorned the floors, and furniture was placed in a large square around the center of the room. Several people were already there, lounging on them and chattering with each other.

The minute Naruto entered the room, however, they all stood and bowed, chanting, "Your Highness Prince Naruto."

He shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his head. "Um, please—I've told you all before. Don't call me Your Highness or Prince. It really doesn't make me comfortable—"

"We know, we know," interrupted a drawling, lazy voice. Everyone turned to stare as Shikamaru collapsed back on a couch, arm pressed over his eyes. "Formalities, though, are required."

There was a tense silence, before finally Ino slapped him on the arm, crying, "Shikamaru! You apologize right now!" And then everyone was laughing, the tenseness broken, as they resettled in their couches. Sakura smiled up at Naruto.

"See? Ino always does wonders."

"What did you say about me, Forehead?" yelled Ino from across the room.

Sakura stormed over, leaving Naruto alone. "What did you just call me, Pig?"

Naruto was content to stand where he was for a moment longer and admire the scene. This was how a normal family should have been—happy, arguing about trifling manners, joking, and teasing. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing from the scene. Something, or was it someone…

"Hey, idiot, are you going to keep standing there forever?" a voice asked from behind him, low and perfectly smooth.

He turned and grinned, catching the eyes of his best friend. "Are you going to keep standing behind me?" he retorted, and couldn't help laughing when Sasuke 'hn'-ed and pushed Naruto forward, following close behind.

The warmth spread from his chest, soothing and intoxicating. So this was what he had been missing.

_And now, it's complete._

* * *

"Why did you come, anyway?" Naruto asked, curled up in the corner of the couch. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him.

"Was I not allowed to?"

"No, it's not that. Just—you never come whenever I ask you to," he mumbled, not really meaning for that last part to slip out. He flinched slightly, waiting for Sasuke's customary cold brush-off. He was used to it by now, he told himself, and it wouldn't hurt this time.

That was why it surprised him so much when Sasuke actually _chuckled_. Well, maybe it was just a really amused-sounding snort, but that was a genuine laugh in the Sasuke-book! "Did you honestly think I was avoiding you, moron?" Sasuke smirked. "I actually had work to do, you know. Today just happened to be a day off."

Naruto stared suspiciously at Sasuke, who even _looked _amused! He never looked amused! "Are you really Sasuke? Or did something extraordinarily good happen to you today?" Naruto glanced around before leaning up into Sasuke's ear, whispering conspiratorially, "Or did you get laid?"

Sasuke pushed him back, scornful. "I'm perfectly normal. Although if you insist, I suppose something good did happen today."

"Really? What?"

"Let's just say, I'm closer to my goal." Sasuke clammed up after that, and no amount of cajoling or Naruto's famous puppy dog eyes would get him to reveal any more information.

Naruto honestly didn't know what Sasuke's goal was. There were numerous goals he had—protecting Konoha, ending the war, avenging his clan. How was he supposed to know which goal he was closer to? He stewed inside for a while, curled in his corner while he watched Sasuke _interact _with other people. It was a marvel. Maybe Sasuke was coming out of his shell at last! Naruto had always been of the opinion that Sasuke was rather like a late-maturing turtle. Too scared to come out of his shell, and as a result emotionally retarded.

Still, it didn't explain the aching feeling in his chest when he saw Ino flirting openly with Sasuke…and Sasuke reciprocating the action in his own way.

Naruto had never cared much about Sasuke's love life. Sure, they had shared some details here and there—enough to know that both had gotten their first kiss (Naruto with some random court lady Danzo had set up for him, when he turned thirteen, and Sasuke…well, Sasuke, he wasn't too sure) but had never gone much further than that. He didn't know if Sasuke was seeing someone on the side, or if he had a secret lover he kept hidden in a cabin deep in the forest. He didn't know who Sasuke loved, if he loved anyone at all, or who he held dear to his heart. Sasuke had many walls around his heart, Naruto realized, but since when did he want to break them down?

He was shaken out of his daze when someone snapped their fingers in front of his face. It was Ino, looking mischievous and beautiful, face flushed with a strange excitement. "Naruto! Do you want to play a game with us?"

"W-what game?" Naruto asked, startled when he saw everyone crowded around him. Had he really been that out of it to not notice when they crept so near?

"It's a really fun game," Ino insisted, pulling his hand. "You too, Sasuke. Come on!"

Unable to resist, they settled in a wide circle on the floor, and Ino took the place on Sasuke's right as Naruto sat across from them. He couldn't help but feel another pang in his chest, as he watched the two of them together. (_It's just friendship, just the feeling of him growing away, I swear._)

Naruto took a quick scan around the circle to distract himself. There were eleven of them in total, including himself. Tenten, the only woman in the entire armory who helped take care of the weapons; Shino, resident librarian and also unofficial castle expert on bugs; Shikamaru, the lone son of Danzo's lead strategist, Shikaku; Sakura, apprentice medic to Tsunade; Ino, a lady of the court; Neji, the nephew of Danzo's lead general, Hiashi, and already a supreme officer; Lee, the gardener; Chouji, one of the cooks in the kitchens; Hinata, cousin of Neji but also a lady of the court; and finally, Sasuke, Danzo's advisor and his best friend. Their classes varied far and wide, from his own royal status to the servants, but something held them all together. A bond, Naruto fancied. A friendship, if he was bold.

"So what are we playing?" Tenten asked, wrapping her arms around her legs.

Ino smirked, eyes glowing as she took an empty glass bottle—probably one that had previously contained milk—and placed it in the center of the circle on its side. "We're playing a game called Spin the Bottle."

"Isn't that a… farmer's game?" Chouji frowned, staring at the innocent-looking empty bottle. "I mean, not to be rude, but I heard only the farmers' kids play this game."

"Well even if it is," huffed Ino, "we're still playing this. The rules of the game are simple. I will begin, and I'll spin the bottle. Whoever the opening end lands on, I get to kiss. No matter if it's a girl or a guy, you have to kiss them or else you're expelled from the game. Okay?"

"…Do we have to play?" Shikamaru muttered, eyeing the suddenly dangerous bottle. "Because—"

"You have to play." Ino's tone brooked no argument.

Soon enough, she was sitting next to Sasuke again with the bottle in front of her, smiling. "Ready, everyone?" There were various excited 'yes's' and some outright 'no's' and several uncommitted silences. Sasuke, Naruto noticed, said nothing.

Ino twirled her long fingers, and everyone watched with bated breath as it spun once…twice…three and a half times before finally landing dead on Shikamaru. He seemed surprised for once, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. Soon after, he had a lap full of Ino and one quick kiss later, she returned to her spot. Both sported flaming red faces, and Naruto stifled a laugh. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all…

Since there were only four girls, the guys were at a rather large disadvantage. But surprisingly, the first male to kiss another male was Naruto himself.

Following Ino, Shikamaru had spun and landed on Hinata. The kiss was barely more than a brush of lips, and promptly after he had announced his general unenthusiastic-ness for the game and had been 'expelled' to the couch. Hinata had hesitantly spun, landing on Lee. Sensing Sakura's death aura, she too had quickly resigned. Lee landed on Sakura (which may or may not have been a result of his intense staring and tiny finger nudges, which they all pretended they didn't see) and the two had to be forced from the room when their one kiss became a whole lot more. Afterwards, Tenten took up the mantle and landed on Neji. Naruto had grimaced, seeing Neji's stone-cold expression even as they kissed. It must be like kissing a marble statue, he had mused.

Naruto had been wrong, to say the least.

Kissing Neji was like kissing feathers. His lips were oddly soft, and didn't fit against Naruto's. Their lips touched for nothing more than a millisecond, and afterwards both were scooting away like the other was fire; unwilling to back down and seem like a coward, yet reluctant to kiss another male as well. It was a lose-lose situation. (1)

He didn't miss Sasuke's heavy stare afterwards when he remained in the game, instead of quitting (_it was a game, wasn't it? And he was determined to win_). Neji had exited, as well as Tenten and Shino (before he even kissed anyone, too!) leaving Ino, him, Sasuke, and Chouji.

"My turn!" Ino announced, grabbing the bottle again. It landed on Chouji. A smirk curved her lips and she sauntered over to him, eyes devious. Chouji glanced uncertainly at Shikamaru, looking much like the panicked, cornered mouse who has nowhere to run from the stalking lioness. Naruto almost laughed out loud when Shikamaru pinned Chouji with one look in his eyes, surprisingly intense for someone who was usually so laidback. Chouji scrambled to his feet, yelling a quick "I'm done!" before plopping next to Shikamaru.

It was that point, Naruto decided afterwards, that everything decided to spiral downward.

Ino had taken a brief respite from the game to call in alcohol, glaring playfully at Shikamaru. As soon as the wine arrived, she had forced everyone to drink some—"You all are way too stiff! Loosen up!"—and Naruto had just ended up pouring more and more, trying to drown out the way Sasuke's eyes had looked after Naruto had kissed Neji (_was that hurt in his eyes_).

"Back to the game!" a significantly tipsier Ino shouted. She spun the bottle quickly, and everyone tracked the progress with mesmerized eyes. Finally, it slowed, bypassing Naruto and rotating till it pointed directly at Sasuke.

Naruto felt like he'd been hit with a ton of bricks, watching in a sort of dazed horror as Ino placed her hand on Sasuke's thigh and leaned in, lips pressed hotly against his best friend's. His best friend, who needless to say, continued to keep eye contact with him despite the fact that a very attractive woman was currently kissing him. Swallowing, he blinked and looked away, forcing himself not to get lost in Sasuke's eyes. Why did he care? He didn't care. It was just a silly, stupid game.

At last, Ino pulled away with a wet smacking sound, to which Naruto winced, having had his eyes glued on the bottle instead of the kissing couple in front of him. "Sasuke, your turn," she said, voice husky.

Hypnotized, Naruto watched as pale fingers spun the bottle—five times in total, until it stopped right on Naruto.

For one breathtaking second—(_or was it minutes hours days_)—the whole room was dead silent.

Naruto's heart forgot to beat as something fluttered, suspended, frozen, in his chest.

And then the fluttering thing was crushed mercilessly, Naruto's heart giving a giant _ga-lump _as Sasuke stood abruptly, eyes dark and shadowed. "I'm tired. I want to go."

Naruto stared, wide-eyed, from the floor as Sasuke began picking his way toward the door; others began hesitantly standing and walking toward the door as well. _Is he…leaving me? _was his only thought.

_No. No. _No_! You can't leave me._

_Not you._

And all of a sudden, Ino's hand was on his shoulder. He turned and gazed into eyes blue as his own, understanding and deep. "I'm sorry, Naruto, for trying to take what was yours. But for now, if you don't want to lose it…please, go. Chase for it—chase your dreams."

In a second, he was on his feet and stumbling out the door, nearly tripping on the rugs but catching himself just in time. His other friends were all in various places down the hall; his eyes landed only on the dark figure slowly vanishing in the distance. Before he knew it, his feet were thumping on the floor, beating a steady rhythm as he chased after Sasuke. _Don't leave. Don't leave. _

_Stay with me._

His hand reached out, Sasuke nearly in his grasp—and then, he was. Warm, flesh and bone, Sasuke. His arms wrapped around Sasuke's front, until he was pressed against his back. Sasuke's spine was stiff and unresponsive even as Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's shirt. He smelled like pine and cool mint; it was a smell, Naruto thought, that he could get used to.

"Prince Naruto, please, release me," Sasuke finally said, voice stony and brittle. His voice rumbled through his back soothingly. "You are not in the most conscious of moods right now, due to your consumption of alcohol. Please let me go before this gets any worse."

"Don't call me Prince," Naruto whispered, muffled in Sasuke's shirt. "Don't you know that I think of you as my equal? Maybe I should call you Prince as well, Sasuke?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Sasuke suddenly turned, breaking Naruto's hold on him. He captured Naruto's wrist when he tried to get closer, missing the body contact. Perhaps Naruto wasn't in the most intelligent of mindsets at that moment, but honestly, he didn't care. At this point it was all about Sasuke and all about why Sasuke never opened up to him. Why he always cut him out of his life, when all Naruto wanted was someone who would accept him like he accepted them.

As such, he opened his mouth and blurted the first thing that came to mind. "Why do you always shut me out, Sasuke?" His eyes locked on his, blue clashing against black. "Stop shutting me out."

Sasuke stared at him for a long moment before turning again and pulling Naruto along. They stumbled silently through the halls (well, more so Naruto than Sasuke) until at last, they reached their destination: Naruto's room. Sasuke threw open the door and pushed Naruto in, face never breaking from its emotionless expression

"What? Did I cross a line?" Naruto ripped his wrist from Sasuke, suddenly angry. "You never tell me anything. Sometimes I wonder, do I even know anything about you? Your favorite color? Your favorite animal? Favorite food? You know I love orange. You know I love foxes and my favorite food is ramen and that I absolutely adore nights but I just can't stand mornings. You know I love the people more than anything and you know I would give my life for them. What about you? Would you give your life for Konoha? Would you even give your life for _me_?"

Sasuke's eyes were viciously blank as he responded. "Of course I would. It's my duty, Prince Naruto, to serve you."

(_to serve you, and not get too close_)

"Of course that's your answer! That's what you're _required _to say! But would you do it out of the feelings you have for me?" The alcohol was loosening Naruto's tongue far more than he had expected, and the words just wouldn't stop flowing even as panic began to settle into his stomach. "Do you care about me at all? Or am I just another tool for people like Danzo and you? Is that why you left when the bottle landed on me? You were scared of touching me, spending time with me. That's why you always make some half-assed excuse and disappear off? Why don't you—"

"Are you asking for me to kiss you? Is that what you want?" Sasuke hissed abruptly, grabbing Naruto's shoulders and forcing him back. His eyes were alight with a flame that had lit from nowhere, brilliantly bright and brutally angry. Naruto shivered. This was the Sasuke he knew. "Do you think _I'm _the one that's being confusing right now? I care about you, idiot, probably more than you'll ever be bothered to know. Maybe you don't know things about me, but that's called _time_. Be careful about your words, Naruto, otherwise you may end up with more than you want or expect."

Naruto's knees hit the back of the bed, and he sank down on it, putting both of his hands on Sasuke's face and smiling. Sasuke looked taken aback at the sudden change in character, but Naruto wasn't deterred. "There's the Sasuke I know. Defensive to the very end, stubborn and just so strong. Really, I don't care about the stupid kiss. It's enough to know that you care, even a little. Even…a little…" Naruto yawned, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over him. "Ah…I'm feeling tired…"

"Sleep." Sasuke's voice seemed to reach him from a distant haze, like he had cotton wool stuffed in his ears.

Naruto reached blindly out from the bed (since when had he laid down?) and patted the air. "S-Sasuke?"

"Right here, moron." A hand clasped his, warm and large and comforting.

Sasuke.

"Stay with me? Just this once?" he whispered, eyes slipping shut. There was a brief silence, and then—

"Just this once."

It was with a soft smile on his lips that he fell asleep that night, another hand gripped in his own as he whirled through dreams of raven masks and flying through the night sky, glittering with a flame that couldn't be extinguished.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto woke to an empty bed and no memories of the previous night.

* * *

**A/N: **(1) Catch-22 situation, basically.

Aha, so the ending was all like some SasuNaru hints and possibly happy ending - then bam, angst. Suckers. And yes, Naruto and Kiba are very dense to not be able to figure out who their other friend is. I actually wasn't going to inclue Spin the Bottle at all, but voila, plot decides to take over on its own. (And I was too lazy to make up a new name for Spin the Bottle, so I just called it that, since everyone knows what it is, evidently. Even people in make-believe kingdoms.) I also wanted to do a bed scene later, that was like, awkwardness in the morning kinda bed scene... but I couldn't fit it in...so I didn't include it. Sorry.

Naruto is not a heavy drinker, clearly. And he remembers nothing from the previous night because he was rather drunk, so, memories go poof! Please feel free to ask my questions. Or leave critiques. Or a review. Reviews are really nice. :)

**TBC! **


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